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Mary Briggs, a young volunteer who lives on Heifer Farm in Rutland, Mass., sits with children who are visiting with Winky the goat. The mission of Heifer International is to work with communities to end world hunger and poverty and to care for the earth.

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Food Tank, in partnership with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, is hosting the 1st Annual Chicago Food Tank Summit on November 16, 2016.

This event will feature more than 40 different speakers from the food and agriculture field. Researchers, farmers, chefs, policymakers, government officials, and students will come together for interactive panels, networking, and delicious food, followed by a day of hands-on activities and opportunities for attendees.

Food Tank (FT): What inspired you to get involved in food and agriculture?

Pierre Ferrari (PF): I enjoy food; I need food. I have been involved mostly in the beverage industry—orange juice, wine, soft drinks. Dairy and the value chain complexities of agriculture fascinate me and surface so much of what makes us human—our interdependencies with others, the soil, water, climate, tradition, and biodiversity, and the dignity of farming.

FT: What do you see as the biggest opportunity to fix the food system?

PF: Relentless data collecting, analysis, and financialization to bring attention and full transparency to how food moves from sun, soil, and seed to food on the table.

FT: What innovations in agriculture and the food system are you most excited about?

PF: The fast-approaching technical solutions to both energy poverty (solar and batteries) and the desalinization of salt water.

Sponsors for this year's Food Tank Summit in Chicago include:Almond Board of California, Annie’s Inc., Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition, Blue Apron, Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Clif Bar & Company, Driscoll's, Elevation Burger, Farmer’s Fridge, Food and Environment Reporting Network, Inter Press Service (IPS), Niman Ranch, and Organic Valley. More to be announced soon.

Join the discussion using #FoodTank across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!